I push self sufficiency, self reliance, or what every else you want to call it! In fact, I'm kind of a nag about it. I was going through my old magazines and found a 2007 issue of Mother Earth News and an article by Craig Idlebrook. He has 75 way to live on less. He just doesn't tell a story, he actually practices what he preaches. I'm not going to share them all at once, because I want us all to think on a little bit at a time and not get overwhelmed. And, by the way, I am now a subscriber to this wonderful magazine! ~Karin

Self Sufficiency

Part 4

How To Keep Upkeep Costs Down

1. Close off unused rooms to save on heat and air conditioning. (Since the kids moved out, we basically cut off the basement for heat. I only open vents when we have guests.)
2. Be efficient with your appliances. Have a big baking night when you're going to use the oven. Let your woodstove also be your dryer and water heater.
3. Take advantage of natural weather patterns to heat and cool your house. In the summer, open the windows at night and close them again by noon. (I grew up 6 blocks from the ocean. When it was hot we opened the windows and let the breeze blow through, when it was cold we shut the windows and put on a sweater.)
4. Place your refrigerator in the coldest part of the house so it requires less energy to keep the temperture low.
5. Wash your clothes in cold water. It's the friction that does most of the cleaning, not the heat.
6. Switch off your water heater when you're not going to use it for extended periods of time.
7. Buy energy-efficient light bulbs. The savings on your electric bills add up fast. (Okay, I did this. I bought the kinds that's good for 10 years. Crock! They still only last 2 or 3 years. I think its a scam.)
8. Unplug any unused electric items with lights, clocks or timers. They use an amazing amount of power just sitting there. You can plug multiple items into one power strip to make shutting them all off faster. (My brother powered his home with solar panels and he used power strips. My home has so many lights on you can walk through the house at night and see where you're going. I can't convince my husband that we'd save money. Hmm, maybe I'll conduct an experiment and turn everything off for one month and we'll see how much we save on our power bill. I'll report back.)